Sewing-machine ruffler



June24, 1930. ADZE K 1,765,391

SEWING MACHINE RUFFLER Filed June 2'7, 1928 ed with the main Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES AUGUST 1). ZEECK, OF NEW HAVEN,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE GB/E IST MANU FAC'IURIN'G COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

, SEWING-MACHINE RUFFLER Application filed. June 27,

This invention relates to that class of sewing machine rufllers comprising a reciprocating ruiiling blade connected with'a pendulous lever which, in turn, is connectlever operated from the needlebar of a sewing machine, the present invention relating to means whereby the throw of the ruftling blade may be varied by a simple adjustment. In accordance with the present invention the pendulous lever is provided with a laterally extending contact lug adapted to be engaged by a regulating lever mounted on the operating lever, the position of said regulating lever being varied to regulate the throw of the ruffling blade, by means of an eccentric pivotally mounted on the fulcrum pin of the main and pendulous levers. The said main lever is provided with a graduated scale, and, extending from the eccentric, is an index finger the tip of which is adjacent to the said scale so that the extent of throw of the rufiling blade may be readily determined by said scale and index finger.

In the drawing Figs. 1 and 2 are opposite side views of the improved rufiler. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. parts in different positions, and Fig. 1 1s a plan view of the improved rufller.

Referring to the drawing, 12 denotes the frame of the rul'lier which 1s provided with a presser-foot portion 13 adapted for at-' tachment to the presser-bar of a sewlng machine. Mounted on a pivot pin 1%, near the top of the frame 12, are the main and pendulous levers 14 and 15, respectively. Jointed to the lower end of the pendulous lever 15 is a carrier 16 to which is attached the rufiling blade 17.

Mounted on the operating lever 1 1 is a regulating lever 17 having a contact part 17f (see Fig. 3) and a tail piece 17*. The part 17 is arranged to come in contact with a laterally extending lug 1 5 on the pendulous lever 15. This contact of the parts 17 and 15 occurs when the needle bar of the sewing machine 18 rlslng and the rufliing blade is to be forced forward for the ruiiiing operation; while on the downward stroke of the needle-bar, when 7 contact part 17 2 but with the 1928. serial reassess. v

the rufiling blade is to be retracted, the tail piece 17 of the lever 17 comes in contact with the upper forward edge ofa reinforcement 15 of the lug 15*.

In the normal adjustment of the parts there will be considerable lost motion be-v tween the levers 1 1 and 15, and this lost motion may be varied, to adjust the throw of the ruflling blade, by means of an eccentric 18 mounted on the pivot pin 12* and provided with a radially extending index finger 18 the turned-over tip of which upper edge of the operating lever 1 1.

It will be noted that the contact part 17 a of the lever 17 is rather broad, and that the laterally extending reinforced lug 15 of the pendulous lever, against which the said is to impinge, at times, is also rather broad, so that when the ruffling blade is to be forced forward for a rufliing stroke, (see Fig.1) and when inost power is required, these broad contact parts will afford sufficient strength so that objectionable wear will be avoided. When the ruffling blade is-to be retracted and little power is required,'the tail piece 17 of the adjusting lever 17 will come in contact with the upper edge of the reinforcementv 15 of the lug 15 (See Fig. 3.)

When the eccentric 18 is adjusted to a position in which the index finger movable therewith points to O on the scale 19 there will be so much lost motion between the main and pendulous levers that no movement will be imparted to the rufliing blade which is thus thrown out of operation, as is desirable when plain sewing is to be done. In other words, this simple adjustment will render the rufiling blade neutral or inoperative. I

The regulating lever 17 is retained in any desired position of adjustment by a spring washer 20, and the adjusting eccentric is similarly retained in any desired position by means of a friction washer 21.

The rufller is provided with the usual separator plate 22 fixed to the holder 23 removably mounted on the frame 12 in a well known manner.

is adjacent to a scale'19 near the curved From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides a simple and efficient construction whereby the throw of the reciprocating rufliing blade may be conveniently varied as to impart to the said rufiiing blade any desired length of stroke, or may be rendered neutral, as will be plainly indicated by the scale 19 on the operating lever 1 and the index finger 18 extending from the adjusting eccentric 18..

- Having thus described my invention, .1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a sewing machine rufller, thecombination with a rufiling blade "and its carrier, of a pendulous lever having a jointed connection with said carrier and provided with a laterally extending contact lug, an operating lever adapted to be actuated from the needle-bar of a sewingmachine, a regulating lever mounted on the said operating lever and having a broad contact part and a tail portion for alternate engagement with said lug, and an adjustable eccentric by which the position of the said regulating lever may be varied to regulate the throw of the said rufiling blade.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AUGUST D. ZEECK. 

